The subject application relates generally to a header for use with agricultural harvesters. In particular, the subject application relates to a movable end divider for a header of a combine harvester.
The headers for agricultural harvesters, such as combines, that harvest crops may assume a variety of configurations depending on the crop being harvested. Regardless of the crop, however, harvester headers include at least a pair of crop dividers on opposite ends of a crop gathering mechanism. The end dividers serve to divide and lift the crop and guide it inwardly toward the crop gathering mechanism where it may be harvested and possibly further processed. In corn headers, for example, a plurality of intermediate dividers is typically used in conjunction with the end dividers in order to effectively harvest rows of corn. In other headers, such as those for harvesting wheat and other crops not normally grown in well-defined rows, the header is referred to as a draper header or auger header and includes a long spoked reel that works in conjunction with a knife to shear off and gather the crop.
Crops grow to varying heights and have other distinguishing physical characteristics. Taller plants typically require longer end dividers in order to divide the crop whereas shorter plants can normally be harvested using shorter end dividers. Heretofore, combine harvester headers use multiple differently-sized, fixed-length, detachable end dividers that are mounted to the headers to suit the type of crop being harvested. That is, when tall crops are harvested a pair of fixed-length long end dividers are attached to opposite ends of the header and, when it comes time to gather shorter crops, the long end dividers are replaced with shorter ones. Presently, therefore, the farmer who grows a variety of crops normally needs an assortment of differently-sized end dividers that must be physically attached to and detached from the header depending on the crop being harvested. Such a system is not only time and labor intensive but also requires the keeping of an inventory of end dividers which involves considerable expense and consumes valuable equipment storage space.